The invention relates to designing a drilling pattern for excavating a rock cavern. The drilling pattern defines for a round to be drilled in the tunnel face at least the locations and hole direction angles of the drill holes in the coordinate system of the drilling pattern. In the method, a designer designs a drilling pattern with the assistance of a drilling pattern design program. An object of the invention is described in more detail in the preamble of the first independent claim.
The invention also relates to a software product according to the second independent claim, the execution of which in a design computer generates actions required in designing a drilling pattern. Further, the invention relates to a rock drilling rig described in the preamble of the third independent claim, in the control unit of which a software product may be executed to generate actions required in designing a drilling pattern.
Tunnels, underground storage halls and other rock caverns are excavated in rounds. In the tunnel face, drill holes are drilled which are charged and blasted after drilling. Rock material of the amount of one round is detached from the rock at one blasting time. For excavating the rock cavern, a design is made in advance and information on the rock type, for example, is determined. In general, also the orderer of the rock cavern sets various quality requirements for the cavern to be excavated. Further, a drilling pattern is designed as office work for each round, the pattern being provided for the rock drilling rig to drill drill holes in the rock in such a way that a desired round can be formed.
For designing a drilling pattern, drilling pattern design programs have been provided which assist the designer in designing the pattern. Designing a drilling pattern is thus interactive action between the designer and the drilling pattern design program. A disadvantage of the present drilling pattern design programs is, however, that they are cumbersome and slow to use. Further, it is difficult to change finished drilling patterns later.